Process for smoking hams, shoulders, and joint-meat in general and the product thereof.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. 'EI'rzcEEALn, 0E cnrcnoo, ILLINQIS, ASSIGNOR T0 EUGENE M. KEELEY AND HARRY c. WILD.

PROCESS FOR SMOKING HAMS, SHOULDERS, AND JOINT-MEAT IN GENERAL AND THE PRODUCT THEREOF.

No I Jrawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Belt known that I, JOHN J. FITZGERALD, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful following is a specification. r

In the ordinary process of curing join meat it is hung uncovered in the smoke house where it is subjected to heat and smoke for i the required period. This has the effect of heating and drying the skin and exposed flesh or fiber of the joint, with the result that the former becomes hard and horny while the exposed lean fiber, particularly at the larger end of the joint, splits or cracks to a considerable depth, and the smoke entering the cracks and crevices hardens and blackens the meat forming the walls thereof. When the meat is cut or sliced for sale or consumption, the blackened and hardened end section must be discarded at least to the extent to which it has cracked as it is practically unfit for use. Furthermore, with the shrinkage ofthe joint which accompanies smoking the meat loses shape, that on the butt side dropping or sagging while the meat on ,the flank spreads out. The trimming which is made necessary by the cracking of the meat and the loss of shape of the joint, amounts to a very considerable fraction of the weight in the case of each ham.

It is the object of my invention to save this loss by protecting and gently compressing the'ham or shoulder duringsmoklng from the extreme heat while permitting the proper access of smoke and heat thereto, and at the same time keeping it moist with its own juices, so that the skin is kept comparatively soft, the meat or fiber prevented fromcracking and the joint retained in its compact shape.

With this purpose in v1ew my invention consists in inclosing the ham or shoulder n a tight fitting jacket of porous elastic fabric which permits free access of the smoke to the meat, which contracti' with the shrinkage of the ham at all times providing a pressure thereon tending to keep the parts of the joint together and in compact form, and receives the juices of the meat whlch keep it moist Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

Application filed June 22, 1914. Serial No. 846,443.

and also moisten the skin and exterior of the meat, preventing them from hardening and the latter from cracking as above described. The elastic material which I have found best adaptedfor the purpose and which may be economicallv obtained and used for the purpose, is stockinet. This material is commonly knitted in a seamless tube which may be turned out of indefinite length by an automatic machine for the purpose. The continuous tube of stockinet as it comes from the mill is divided into the required lengths to form the jackets and the joints inserted 1n said jackets which fit them tightly. The jackets are closed at one end as by tying or sewing the edges together and the joints inserted therein and tightly covered thereby, the open end of the tube being closed after the joint is covered.

The operation of smoking may be carried out precisely as formerly. As the ham or other joint becomes heated the juices thereof fiow out and are received in and moisten the knitted cover which also receives in and through its meshes the smoke employed in the curing operation which mingles with the juices and give them in a high degree the desired flavor of smoked meat. The stockinet, however, holds the juices in close contact with the joint, the surface of which is continually moistened thereby so that the heat of the smoking operation does not dry out nd harden the skin or cause the fiber to cree open as above described. The jacket compresses the projecting-portions of the joint and as the latter shrinks the jacket follows, at all times maintaining the compact shape of the ham. As aresult when the ham is cut for use there need be no Wasting at the end thereof but on the contrary all that portion of the meat heretofore thrown away and discarded may be used and is as desirable as any other portion of the joint and the skin is kept in such condition as.to be comparatively easily cut. The jacket protccts the moat during handling in the process and afterward and preferably is removed only when thecontents thereof are to be used.

Iclaim:

1. A method'of curing joint meat which consists in first inclosing the same in a close fitting jacket of porous elastic material and then subjecting it to the action of heat and &uring shrinkage and prevents cracking of smoke. the butt.

2. The process for curin joint meat consisting in inclosing the jol nt in an elastic, JOHN FITZGERALD" 5 porous jacket of 'stockinet and then heating Witnesses:

and smoking the same, whereby the jacket JOHN B. MACAULEY, exerts a constant pressure upon the meat ROBERT DOBBERMAN. 

